Imperfect Connections
by Lailament
Summary: Carlos and Cecil coexist in a continual cycle of secrets and miscommunication. As Carlos begins to find value in things other than his precious research, will the consequences of his inquisitive nature drive Cecil away or awaken something within him that neither was aware existed? Cecilos M/M Rated M for future chapters.


Imperfect Connections

"What do you mean you never had to take STAKS?"

Carlos glanced up from the beaker which he had been stirring vigorously from his seat opposite Cecil at the breakfast table.

Cecil wore a look of shock masking his annoyance with the ever present chemistry lab that decorated their kitchen. Carlos had associated this look with their mornings together as he filled the room with idel chatter and noxious fumes. Cecil had mentioned something about keeping radioactive chemicals off the table on which they eat…

Carlos sighed "what's this now?" he pulled a partially melted spoon from the concoction and set it on the table turning his full attention to Cecil.

"You just said that you never heard of the STAKS. I was under the impression that EVERYONE was required by law to take them in school." Cecil gawked at Carlos as if this revelation was a true testament to just how foreign Carlos was.

"It must be a local thing." Carlos muttered into a cup of coffee and he raised the mug to his lips. "Is it some kind of standardized testing?" Cecil nodded happy to have gain Carlos' intrest.

"Yes they use it to test all the children in Night Vale. We were tested annually through out elementary school on very basic subjects." Carlos nodded his interest fading and refocusing back on the glowing substance in the beaker which had begun to bubble.

Cecil continued to talk, more so to himself than to Carlos. "Yes, I remember when they tested our abilities. When they would see which of us were impervious to physical pain. When they would inspect our skeletal frames for abnormalities. Of course, I got high marks in parasitic communication…" Cecil trailed off in thought.

He glanced up at Carlos who was staring at him wide eyed. For the most part, Carlos had grown accustom to the strange things Cecil said. He no longer questioned when Cecil spoke about recent infestations of librarians or how he fondly remembers his mother telling him fantasy stories about mountains and Angels.

Cecil smiled. "I'm sure you had something like that in your elementary school." He concluded.

"Oh, yes." Carlos lied, wanting to avoid and early morning conversation about how strange his childhood seemed to Cecil. "Everywhere you go there is some form of standardized testing." Cecil nodded and stood from the table collecting his dishes and preceding to the sink.

Carlos smiled, he got a slight thrill from watching Cecil walk around his home in a borrowed lab coat that draped heavily over his small frame. As he scooted out of the room, he took with him his cup of coffe and mumbled something about how his generation had it so bad having to take STAKS in school.

"You know I'm only a few years older than you.' Carlos called after him resuming his position before his beakers.

Carlos went back to his studies as Cecil busied himself getting groceries. He came home tired and, after unloading his purchases, he collapsed on the couch in the room down the hall from Carlos' lab.

Cecil woke up to his pestering bladder. He bolted from the room to use the toilet. As he settled back onto the couch he noticed for the first time that Carlos was sitting in an adjacent chair, a clipboard in his hand. Carlos stared back at Cecil.

"What are you up to?" Cecil asked suspiciously. Nothing was more suspicious than Carlos with a clipboard.

"I-I was just studying." Carlos answered as he scribbled something on a sheet of paper."

Cecil sat up 'Are you…. studying me? Why?"

Carlos paused, "Because you, Cecil, are a complete product of your environment, you encompass all that is interesting about Night Vale. Cecil smiled then tilted his head in an effort to appear seductive.

"Well imperfect Carlos, you are pretty interesting yourself." With great effort, he pulled himself off the couch and crossed the room to where Carlos sat. He touched the top of the clipboard and pushed it down with his finger to inspect the scribbled notes. Carlos pulled back defensively.

"Come on Carlos…lemme see what you wrote!" Cecil pleaded.

"No" Carlos responded, "You'll make the results invalid."

"Carlos" Cecil hummed melodically. He slowly raised a hand towards the clipboard. Carlos held it above his head, attempting to keep his notes private. He felt a strange rush of air next to him as he caught a peripheral glance at a dark shadow dashing by his face. Before he could react, his clipboard was snatched from his hand and placed into Cecil's.

"Why thank you Carlos." Cecil grinned glancing over the paper.

"W-What was that?" Carlos stammered, completely mystified.

"What?"

"You know what, Cecil. How did you get my notes, I was watching you the whole time."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Cecil feigned innocence and whistled quietly in glee under his breath as he made his way back to his spot on the couch. He took his time settling back down and pulling a sheet over his legs as if preparing for story time. On the clip board was a thin packet of papers. The front sheet simply stated the title.

"Cecil" Giggling excitedly as he read his own name out loud, he turned to the first page of notes.

It read:

Cecil

Male

32 years old

Resident of Night Vale (native)

The list continued with numbers and data Carlos had gathered on Cecil's physical attributs many in which Cecil could not remember ever telling Carlos. He read them silently to himself nodding slightly as if to signal to Carlos that his information was correct. Carlos sat tensely in his seat, his hands balled into tight fists as he watched Cecil's violet eyes dashed back and forth across the page. Cecil frowned.

"How did you know my mother's name?" He looked up to see Carlos' tense stare.

Carlos tried to gain some composure. "I've done my research." He concluded.

Cecil turned the page. Carlos stood from his seat.

"Cecil…" Carlos muttered as he approached him suddenly forced his head between his papers and Cecil's inquisitive eyes. His lips captured Cecil's and he kissed him lightly. As he deepened the kiss, he reached back and snatched his notes from Cecil's hands.

"Carlos!" Cecil cried breaking the kiss but Carlos knew Cecil was weak against his advances and he pushed their lips together once more. Cecil moaned in protest, then in pleasure and he reciprocated Carlos' passion. He ran his fingers through Carlos' hair and seemingly forgot about prying into his research for the time being. Carlos pulled away reluctantly and looked down at Cecil. His face was flushed and his eyes hazy.

"Wow…" Cecil breathed. His glasses were strung crooked on the edge of his nose.

Before he could speak again Carlos pulled away from him, standing.

"Isn't it time for your broadcast?" Carlos asked glancing at his watch. Cecil's eyes grew wide. He lept up from the couch and sprinted out of the room.

"Don't think for a second that this conversation is over." Cecil shouted from the top of the stairs. Carlos sighed and tucked his clipboard tighter under his arm.


End file.
